Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-16
The elder man looked more kindly

Ihe elder man looked more kindly
at him.
"Have you ever thought of a better
career ?" The church now"
Il have always considered the
church to be eminently my vocation" I"
replied Pollux unblushingly.
And he ?" pointing to Castor.
"Well, he inclines to the sea-" re-
turned Pollux, with just twinkle in
his little black eyes.
mot on any account! He would
never forgive me for making so much
of his case. He will be all right
presently. 1t is not the first time he
has been drowned-or the last"
81 trust not" said the other, walk.
ing out of the room.
He was met in the passage by Miss
Wizard and Lily.
81 should like to see the youth, "
said the first.
$50 should l." said Lily.
"You may" to Miss Wizard. Gas
for you, to your room at once, miss,
and don't leave it till these young men
have gone from the house."
Miss Wizard stole into the room on
tiptoe, with her fingers, incased in
black mittens, to her mouth.
"Is he dying?" she whispered. $50
young and so tair' :.
"You may kiss him for his mother y
whispered Pollux in return. But
see! He opens his eyes at last. He
adjusted the brandy flask to the lips
of his friend. "It's flicker, he added ;
perhaps the last one before dissolu-
/ tion."
"How dreadful Does he say any
thing? He seems to want to speak:
She bent her head, and the moribund
whispered something in her ear.
"If you are sure he is dying" she
said to Pollux, "there can be no harm
in his request to see Lily for this once,
though what he can have to say to
her that he can not say to me l am
sure l don't know"
"Alone !" murmured the dying man,
and Pollux, looking angrily at him,
had to 60 out with Miss Wizard to the
corridor.
Miss Landon was all for praying by
the sick mans bed when she was
ushered in with an injunction from
the duenna to be quick, lest her papa
should come up, but to her amaze
ment the little hand she so tenderly
offered him was pressed with very an
mated vigor to his mustache. She
had never felt mustache before, and
it confused her, but not unpleasantly.
ooh, tell me, Mr.. Castor, that you
are not going to die"
Fluff, the poodle, growled discon-
tentedly under the bed, as if to say,
"No such luck for the dogs"
"Not," replied he, "if you give me
encouragement"
"I'm sure | don't know what you
mean, Mr.. Castor. OF course, we all
want to live. Why not ?"
I'm the book that you hold there" }"
said this scamp, sit is said that the
price of good woman is above that
of rubies. Now, I've no precious
stones, but woman can give away
herself gratis, you know, just as |
gave myself away in love at first
sight, to you"
"You shouldn't talk SO. 1t is very
wicked"
$50 it is,," growled the poodle in
assent.
He still held her had. She did not
like to snatch it from a poor dying fell
low-creature yet.
"There is something said about the
sweetness of the lips, too," he re-
marked, ardently. II should like to
try them-in dying way only, you
know"
This time she did snatch her hand
away.
"You wicked mani" she cried = 81
don't like you one little bit. Why
didn't you stop in the sea ?'
Castor watched her hasty exit from
the room disconnected.
Meanwhile Miss Wizard was con-
versing with Pollux in the corridor.
"Do you read Froissart ?" she asked
"in the black letter."
"You see, we have SO much black
board nowAI mean musketry-to ex-
plain, thatiwe have no leisure"
"Ah why don't they have tourna-
ments and queens OF beauty now, as
OF old, in your noble profession
"Ah! why, indeed? ?" murmured
that artful scamp, sinking on one
knee. 'st
So, when Lily ran out of the room
it was to see Mr.. Pollux on his knee
and holding her duenna's hand, while
he gazed up into that lady's face with
a well-afected air of knightly devo-
ton.
"This house is bewitched," >" she said
running away.
"What must she think of me p"
asked Miss Wizard, abashed.
"What, indeed" said Pollux.
"Stay" continued the rogue, with an
eye to further entertainment. "Say to
Mr.. Landon that so long as there is
such an irresistible attraction in the
house we can not, we can not posi-
lively, keep away from it."
Now, Miss Wizard was very fat, and
moreover wore wig, yet such is fe-
male credulity, she was willing to be-
| lieve him at once.
$50 chivalrOus !" she murmured, on
her way to Mr.. Landon's sanctum
downstairs.
"He is noble young man-so ten
der"
"Who?" asked Mr.. Landon grimly
from his chair"
"Mr. Pollux. You must ask him
to dinner"
81 won't. They are after that silly
girl of mine.
"He! he! he!" gigled Miss Wizard.
81 could tell you tale, but l must
not-not yet. OF one thing be as
sured, that Lilly is not the attraction. u
Perhaps it is Bridget, the cook,
then. But of this l am certain, that
out they go from this house as soon as
that boy in my bed can be moved"
ooh, gracious What's this? Here's s
a soldier with red coat at the door, -
exclaimed Miss Wizard, of a sudden.
And a soldier it was-an orderly in
pursuit OF the young man. Miss Viz
ard almost tainted when she heard
that the Royal Bombardiers were or
dered on service to South Africa i'm
mediately, and that the Colonel had